Early enteral nutrition in severe burns.

The method of early enteral nutrition (EEN) in extensively burned patients was started at the Bratislava Burns Department in January 1992. EEN was instituted in all patients with burns exceeding 20% of the BSA who were admitted to the department not later than 6 hours post burn. The nutrition itself was started with administration of milk, and later on, if good tolerance was observed, the milk was replaced by standard tube feeding formulas. The feeding was adjusted to the actual needs of the individual patients according to nutritional balance calculations and regular control of the patients' weights. During a period of 18 months 20 patients met the criteria for EEN. Twelve of them survived and 8 died due to complications of extensive burns. The overall tolerance of EEN was very good in both the survivors and nonsurvivors groups of patients. EEN proved to be safe and effective in maintaining nutritional balance of the patients and eliminating particularly the occurrence of Curling's ulcers.